A number of reflections can be made on the stories of Neil Simon. Notably, that he succeeds in presenting tragedy so comically, or in displaying levity so seriously. The Oscar and Tony acclaimed stage and screen writer of the Twentieth Century has revisited themes of domesticity throughout his career, simultaneously embracing realism and humour along the way.Continue reading “Plaza Suite at Bromley Little Theatre”

What’s the best way to deal with Shakespeare in the twenty-first Century? It’s possibly one of the first questions that comes to a director’s mind when he considers how he might convey a Shakespearean classic to an audience who may, perhaps, have toiled with the idea of staying home to watch reality television (everyone seems to be at it these days) Continue reading “Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at The Rose, Bankside”

Five days are shrunk into two hours in a historical biopic this week, through a theatrical recreation of one of the most famous episodes of film-making history. So intriguing was the occasion that in 2004 Ron Hutchinson (The Irish Play; Traffic) based Moonlight and Magnolias on the memoirs of Ben Hecht, the man largely responsible for one of the most notable films in Hollywood history. Continue reading “Moonlight And Magnolias at Bromley Little Theatre”

The words ‘Moscow, Moscow, Moscow,’ are delivered in an enthusiastic tone to audiences on Kingsway this week. Internationally formed, London based theatre company, [Foreign Affairs], present their tenth production; the first since their Scandinavian series (2012 – 2013). To Moscow With Love extricates passages from Anton Chekhov’s famous late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century plays, cross-examining themes of love and longing on Russian terrain. Continue reading “To Moscow With Love at Pop-up Theatre”

ZooNation‘s army of mini-mes has taken to the South bank this month, in an interpretatively illuminating, reinforced rendition of The Wizard of Oz story. Groove On Down The Road is the first full-scale production from ZooNation Youth Company (ZYC) with celebrated choreographer Katie Prince, whose previous shows include critically acclaimed Some Like It Hip Hop and Into The Hoods. Continue reading “Groove On Down The Road (ZooNation) at the Southbank Centre”